Montford was criticized for his vote on a school safety plan that allows more guns on campus and an education bill that could dismantle teacher labor groups.

After the vote on the education bill Monday, Mayor Andrew Gillum issued a public statement denouncing both the GOP and Montford's vote. Gillum said he wasn't shocked by Republican efforts "to destroy teacher unions." But he said he was "very disappointed with Sen. Montford's vote."

"We will move forward after this session by fighting for our public school teachers, faculty, students and parents, and punish those elected officials who refuse to stand with them," Gillum said.

Montford on Tuesday fired back at Gillum, who's seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.

“To be able to criticize someone for a vote if they do not understand or have not read (the bill) is bush league,” Montford said. “I stay out of his business. He best stay out of mine."

Gillum wasn't alone in his criticism of Montford. After the education vote, a downcast AFL-CIO lobbyist tweeted the Legislature had just voted to decertify the teachers’ unions.

"One Democrat voted yes, one was not on the floor. They could have stopped this travesty,” wrote Rich Templin.

Montford was the yes vote. Sen. Daphne Campbell, D-Miami, was absent. Tuesday she explained she had excused herself for a personal matter and told Montford she was insultingly questioned if he had recommended that she leave the floor.

“Before we go pick out one small piece of the bill and criticize it, I will suggest that they read it and take it in its entirety,” said Montford Tuesday when asked about the criticism.

During an interview with the Tallahassee Democrat on Tuesday morning, Gillum expressed personal respect for Montford but said, "I was very disappointed by both his votes yesterday."

Gillum said he understands a need for compromise in the government process, “but you had six Republicans come over and vote with Democrats against adding more guns to classrooms and also the decertifying of the teachers union.”

The bill requires a labor union to sign up 50 percent of teachers in a bargaining unit as dues-paying members or lose its certification. Montford said the payoff in the bill is school districts get to control money for construction and building maintenance.

The school safety plan includes what Stoneman Douglas survivors call minimally acceptable gun control measures and a plan to arm some classroom teachers and staff. Montford's focus was on the $400 million for school security and mental health programs.

He said he accepts criticism from those who say the bad in both bills outweighs the good he saw in them.

"When you go to the safety bill, do we go back to where we are and not address mental health issues? Do children go back in August to schools that are not hardened? Do we let children go back to an environment that are not safe? I don’t think so,” said Montford.

Gillum is uncomfortable with the choices Montford made.

“I think those are harmful to the education process. I think it’s moving the public policy around education into the wrong direction," Gillum said. "Even though there may have been some positive elements to it, I think it was a negative and I certainly wish the Senator would have voted differently on those bills.”

A former school principal, Montford said he understands the concerns expressed by members of the public critical of his votes.

“If it were a standalone bill, decertifying unions, I would have voted against it. If it were a standalone bill on arming teachers, I would have voted against it," said Montford. "In fact, I voted for amendments to do just that - take them out of the bill. I voted for both of those amendments."

Contact James Call at jcall@tallahassee.com. Staff writer TaMaryn Waters contributed to this report.